Hot Topics:

Lowell man gets two years after extortion attempt

By Lisa Redmond, lredmond@lowellsun.com

Updated:
06/14/2014 07:46:21 AM EDT

BOSTON -- A 35-year-old Lowell man received a two-year federal prison term for trying to extort $20,000 from a Boston celebrity in 2012 after he threatened to blackmail the unnamed celebrity with nightclub video footage.

In U.S. District, Judge George A. O'Toole Jr. sentenced Felix Paulino to two years in prison followed by two years of supervised release. Paulino pleaded guilty in March to the extortion and gun charges.

Paulino, in a tearful apology, told the judge in court last week that several factors, including "drinking and drugging," led him to commit the crimes, according to published reports.

According to documents provided by the U.S. Attorney's Office, Paulino left a voice message for the agent of an unnamed "well-known Boston personality," threatening to leak incriminating video of the married man at a nightclub with young women.

Paulino later allegedly asked for $20,000 in exchange for the tape. Otherwise, he reportedly said he would offer the tape to the celebrity gossip outlet TMZ.

Paulino told the agent he had "incriminating evidence against your client" and gave him a number to call, warning, "If you don't get back to me I will go viral. I will go viral. If I were you, I'd make the call."

Paulino allegedly told the agent he was at the Boston club Venu with the celebrity, and recorded a three-minute video of him talking with several young women, trying to get them to a private room.

Advertisement

After several calls, the agent contacted the FBI and began recording conversations with Paulino. The discussions took place in October and November. Despite plans to set up a meeting, no meeting ever took place and Paulino never received any money.

An FBI agent later testified that the video only shows the celebrity "mingling with patrons in the club, shaking hands, and departing the club shortly thereafter."

Paulino was also convicted on a gun charge when authorities found a firearm in his car when they arrested him in April 2013 on the extortion count. He said he needed the gun for protection after the former boyfriend of a woman he had been romantically involved with shot at him, according to court records and his lawyer.

Welcome to your discussion forum: Sign in with a Disqus account or your social networking account for your comment to be posted immediately, provided it meets the guidelines. (READ HOW.)
Comments made here are the sole responsibility of the person posting them; these comments do not reflect the opinion of The Sentinel and Enterprise. So keep it civil.